The pitch man: Farrell understands staff’s strengths and weaknesses

Tuesday

When Boston Red Sox manager Terry Francona thought about his club last off-season, his primary focus was to improve his pitching staff.

When Boston Red Sox manager Terry Francona thought about his club last off-season, his primary focus was to improve his pitching staff.

More importantly, he needed an expert to help him do so. In John Farrell, he secured the services of a baseball man with a wealth of knowledge, which seems to have paid off with numerous outstanding performances this season.

“I was fortunate enough to know John in the past,” Francona said, “and played with him a little bit (in Cleveland) to know how he feels about the game and the respect he has for the game, but also the respect he has for people in the game. I wanted somebody desperately that I was comfortable with, that Theo (GM Epstein) was comfortable with, that ownership would be comfortable with and that the players would be comfortable with.”

Farrell, 45, came over from the Indians, for whom he was director of player development, having been given much of the credit for the nurturing of numerous young players in an organization that had been named Organization of the Year by Baseball Weekly in 2003 and 2004 and was recognized as having the best farm system in baseball by Baseball America in 2003.

“He’s done a lot of things in baseball,” Epstein said, “but among those notable for us is his ability to understand pitchers’ strengths and weaknesses and communicate effectively with those pitchers, how to make adjustments, mentally, physically and fundamentally. He has the ability to build terrific relationships with players, with mutual respect. Tito and I are both very excited to have him on board.”

“I think we were looking for someone who would take a very broad view of the job, to be able to make an impact on the pitching,” Francona said. “John has a very good feel for what makes pitchers succeed from a mental standpoint as well as a physical standpoint and has faced a lot of challenges himself, not only as a player (right-handed pitcher) but as a collegiate coach (Oklahoma State) and a farm director. He’s very well qualified to work with our pitchers in making adjustments. He has a track record in his career of getting things done, getting things done the right way and having success. That’s what we’re looking for.”

In his short time in Boston, Farrell has proven himself quickly. He’s presided over a staff of starters who were all above, or well above, the .500 mark in wins and losses.

He helped along Josh Beckett, who was forced out briefly with a finger injury, only to see him become the ace of the staff, a 20-game winner and the front-runner for the Cy Young Award. Farrell also had to bring along veterans Tim Wakefield and Curt Schilling, each of whom suffered physical problems. He helped nurse Jon Lester back to health. Above all, he spent hours learning how to communicate with newcomer Daisuke Matsuzaka, who was one of the most prolific pitchers in the league until hitting a bit of a wall late in the season.

The relief staff has also taken to the newcomer’s tutelage, with Hideki Okajima earning unsung hero honors and Jonathan Papelbon being managed so well that he regained his stature as one of the best closers in baseball.

“Understanding them and how they get to perform at their highest level is key,” Farrell said. “I value building those trusts and relationships. That’s the basis for any successful relationship.

“Being a player and a coach now, with every player that walks to the mound, you’re living through that pitcher on any given night,” he said. “So to see some things click, to see some minor adjustments you put into play in a game and have that kind of outcome, it’s rewarding.

“I think first and foremost, the way I view it is the player’s always first and this isn’t about me. It’s about the players. I live by that motto as a coach. That’s what allows some of the extra time we put in with a given person where you feel compelled to do it.

“Anybody in uniform, you’re going to get instant results on that night and that’s what I think drives many to stay in this profession, because you don’t have to wait to find out if you’ve done a good job or not or if you’ve been part of something that’s done well. You’re at the front edge of a competitive event every night. That’s what brings out the fire and competitiveness in all of us. That was one of the basic reasons to take this opportunity - not to mention many others - but that was certainly an opportunity to work with people like Curt and Josh. Keep in mind, the people I have to work with are tremendous.”

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